Chapter 4 - The Game Ends
Megan stayed perfectly still, huddled in the darkness of the closet’s secret cavity. She could hear Ryan pacing, his footsteps heavy and arrogant.
"Diane told me you’d get scared," Ryan muttered to himself, his voice muffled by the sliding doors. "But you’re smarter than that. That’s why we have to be careful, isn't it?"
Megan gripped her phone. She had the audio, the photos, and the diary. She sent the entire package to three separate cloud servers and to the investigator.
Ryan yanked open the closet doors. The light flooded in, blinding her.
He looked disheveled, his eyes bloodshot, his face gaunt. He looked like a man who had lived in the shadows too long. When he saw her, his face didn't soften. He lunged.
Megan didn't retreat. She kicked out, her heel connecting with his knee, and she scrambled out of the closet. She sprinted for the door, but he caught her by the hair.
"You think you can leave?" he hissed, his face inches from hers. "You’re unstable, Megan. The neighbors will testify to your erratic behavior. The therapist you’ve been seeing? He’s on my payroll."
"You’re a monster," she spat.
"I’m a businessman," he corrected.
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Just as he reached for a pair of zip-ties he had kept on his belt, the house erupted in flashing blue and red lights. Not the local police. State Troopers. The investigator had done his job.
Ryan froze. The arrogance drained from his face, replaced by the terror of a man whose game had been exposed.
